How to remove cracks in the laminate after styling?

Laminate - a strong floor covering, which today is quite widely used. This is due to the fact that it has a long operational life and pleasant tactile sensations, but due to a large assortment of colors and textures - it fits perfectly into any stylistic direction of interior design. To the great regret, even such a durable material with improper laying or care is subject to the appearance of various mechanical damages. In case you are faced with this problem, our specialists will tell you how to remove slots in the laminate after laying at home and saving for your budget.

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What are the damages of the laminate surface?

Most often, when operating a coating such as a laminate, the following damage can occur:

• Bloating. Due to the frequent ingress of water into the slit or the constant influence of moisture, the laminate can swell, thus "bumps" appear on the surface.
• Scratches and scuffs. Such damage occurs in the case of frequent tugging of furniture or other large objects.
• From falling of heavy things on a surface of the given covering there can be chipped.
• Slots located between laminate plates. These are the most frequent types of damage, the occurrence of which is due to a number of reasons.

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The main causes of the appearance of the slots:

• The fastening of two different types of laminate boards. This is due to the different types of locks, their incorrect connection between the panels. Despite the fact that visually laminate sheets seem to be linked, they still remain loose. Because of this, crevices form.

Important! Also, be careful when buying laminate flooring and try to choose only one and the same manufacturer. This is due to the fact that visually the panels can be exactly the same, but the locks are completely different.

• The most common cause of slots is laying the laminate on an uneven floor surface. As a result, after a certain time, the substrate on the unevenness begins to become stalled, so that it ceases to amortize the floor. Then the boards begin to diverge and form cracks.
• Laying the cheapest and substandard laminate models. Many people are attracted by the inexpensive price and appearance. Unfortunately, no one thinks about the fact that such a cheapness is associated exclusively with the manufacturer's saving on the strength of the coating and the quality of the locks. Literally in 2 months on this laminate will begin the formation of cracks.

Important! In the event of a gap, one should take into account the fact that through them moisture enters the inner layers of the laminate, which leads to its swelling and complete damage.

• Climate change. Due to changes in temperature and humidity, wood materials tend to narrow and expand. If the street is cold and the room is not heated, the laminate flooring suffers first.

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How can I fill the cracks in the laminate?

In case of significant damage, you can use the following methods to solve them.

Application of special repair paste

This product is mainly sold in construction shops. To use it:

1. The place to be processed must be cleaned of debris and dust, and around - pasted with paint tape.
2. After this, apply the paste and align it with a spatula.
3. At the end of the work, the adhesive tape can be peeled off, and the remnants of the mixture can be removed with a dry cloth or cloth.

Important! When choosing a repair paste, pay attention to the fact that it should match the color of the floor surface.

Application of wood-based putty

Another way to remove slots in the laminate after laying is to use wood shredder. This is an analogue of the repair paste, so this mixture is applied in the same way.

Important! Wood shpaklevka not suitable for places with increased load, as when moving in the floor there is a vibration, which leads to its shedding.

Grouting

These are sealing compounds that are specially manufactured to fill the slots between the laminate panels. They consist of high-quality sealants and silicones, which create strong and high quality seams.

Important! A huge advantage of such tools is that they significantly strengthen the coating and will not allow moisture to seep. But besides the positive moments, there are also disadvantages. In this case, this is a rather high price position in relation to other funds.

Mix of sawdust and gypsum

In order to seal a gap in the laminate in this way, you need to mix gypsum and sawdust in the same proportion, and then dilute the mixture with water.

Important! In a ready state, such a composition should resemble toothpaste in consistency.

Next - take a special previously prepared logs the size of the damage, insert it into the slot and cover it with a ready solution.

Important! If you do not have gypsum and sawdust, then to remove the gap in the laminate, you can use a mounting foam. To do this, it must be poured into the slot and allowed to freeze. After - superfluous should be cut off and wiped with sandpaper.

Color sealant

This tool will help to remove damage to the surface if it is insignificant. To do this, you just need to wipe the place of the defect.

Important! The advantage of a color sealant lies in its plasticity and the ability to withstand fluctuations in temperature and humidity, respectively - the degree of possible expansion of the floor covering.

Propagation

The essence of this method is to insert special wooden wedges into the gap between the wall and panels.

Important! Rasklinivanie relevant only if the slots are near the panels near the walls.

Masking the gaps between

laminate If the above methods and means did not give the desired effect, there is another option, how to remove the gaps between the laminate.

This is a fairly simple method for which you will need:

• Double-sided adhesive tape;
• Hammer.
• Wooden block.

How to proceed:

1. Using a vacuum cleaner, remove all debris and dust from the floor, especially from the damaged surface.
2. A piece of double-sided adhesive tape should be glued to the bar.
3. Attach the bar to one of the laminate panels. Due to the adhesive tape, it will be stuck.
4. Further - with one hand holding the bar, soft movements should be struck with a hammer on its back part. In this way, the bar will be joined to the laminate panel, due to which it will move, and the gap in turn will disappear.

Important! If the laminate is cheap and of low quality, you can use wedges for this method instead of the bar. The most important thing is to make smooth strokes, so as not to damage the surface of the floor even more.

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Useful advices for

• There are also other, but more complex ways. But before using them, one should take into account the fact that if the rough floor is not even, the slits, even with a high-quality laminate, will appear. Therefore, to solve this problem, before laminate flooring, you must always level the floor.
• If the use of several methods does not give the desired result, it means that the rough floor is uneven. In order not to spoil the laminate, you need to carefully remove it, align the rough surface, and then re-install. A special self-leveling mixture will help to do this quickly. The name speaks for itself, respectively - when using these tools, immediately after drying you can lay a fresh substrate and proceed directly to the installation of the laminate.

Important! Always supervise the laying process, because with incorrect actions, slots can also form.

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How to prevent the appearance of defects in the surface of the laminate?

In order not to encounter various defects and damage to the floor covering, several rules of care and operation should be adhered to:

• Always pay attention to the information that the manufacturer indicates.
• Prior to covering with laminate panels, you must always align the rough surface of the floor.
• Cleaning must be carried out exclusively dry using a vacuum cleaner.
• The substrate must be laid in such a way that its joints do not coincide with the joints of the laminate laths.
• When laying laminated panels, the correct placement of the gaps along the perimeter of the floor must be observed.

Important! This solution allows you to keep an even coating from the effects of changes in temperature, air, and allows the wooden bars to expand and contract freely.

• Avoid exposure to moisture. If this happens by accident, you must quickly wipe the surface of the floor dry.

Important! In some cases, in case of moisture, it is necessary to disassemble the wet area and dry it from the inside.

• If humid air is in the room, use special silicone sealants that are applied directly to the joints.
• To avoid scratches, heavy furniture should not be pulled over the floor, but lifted and carried.
• Do not allow significant contamination of the floor covering.
• If a gap appears, it must be eliminated immediately, rather than waiting for its increase.
• At least once a year, laminate must be treated with special mastic.

Important! The parquet floor care products must never be used for laminate flooring.

Despite the fact that the laminate is a fairly strong and durable coating, with improper care it is susceptible to various damages. Therefore, if you decide to use this material for finishing the floor, you should always adhere to the operating rules, which are specified by the manufacturer. If you still have defects on the surface, you can solve them without problems yourself, applying the above recommendations of our experts. Thus, you not only correctly carry out the repair, but also save the family budget.